


Navigating the Invisible Line Between Success and Failure

by coldfiredragon



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Canon Gay Character, Child Abuse, Hospitalization, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury Recovery, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 04:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13674624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldfiredragon/pseuds/coldfiredragon
Summary: After agreeing to foster the youngest son of a former student Henry finds himself struggling as the primary parental figure to the one and only Eliot Waugh.





	Navigating the Invisible Line Between Success and Failure

**Author's Note:**

> So, timeline notes, there aren't timeloops in this universe... yet. Eliot's going to be fifteen, and Henry's students are all grad school age. 
> 
> This first chapter is pretty heavy, so trigger warnings for aftermath of parental and child abuse.

Whitehall Indiana was the last place Henry Fogg had expected to spend his evening, but when one of your former students, who Henry hadn't spoken to in nearly twenty-five years, stumbled through a half-assed portal into your Brakebills apartment you changed your plans. Caroline had remarkable potential during her entrance exam, but her powers had quickly proven to be spotty at best and had been enhanced by an unknown pregnancy. She had dropped out before finishing a semester, and Henry had mostly forgotten about her. Now he was following her through the hall of a rural Indiana hospital towards the ICU. 

“How old is your son?” He asked.

“Eliot's fifteen.” Caroline wiped her fingers near the corner of her eye. She looked haggard and exhausted. Being at the end of her rope was probably the only way she had managed a portal in the first place. Henry wasn't sure what she expected him to do, especially with a boy so young. His students were all in their early twenties, but it was clear that she needed a shoulder. He could offer her that. 

Caroline pushed open a door, and he followed her. A heart monitor beeped rhythmically, and a ventilator pumped air into the kid's lungs. One arm was in a cast from the hand to the middle of the upper arm, and one leg had been cast from the knee down. An IV tree stood to one side. The boy's face was bruised and swollen, bruising blossomed along his chest and disappeared under his hospital gown. 

“Toby was going to kill him. He's in custody, and Eliot's been sedated since they got him here.” She whispered. 

“I'm sorry, Caroline.” Henry rested his hands on the shorter woman's shoulders. 

“I'm scared for him.” 

“Because of your husband?” Henry asked. Caroline's shoulders stiffened, her arms crossed over her chest. 

“I don't want him to hurt anyone.” She whispered. 

“If Toby is in custody I do not see the problem,” Henry admitted. Caroline's head ducked, and she sniffled. 

“Caroline?” Her hand covered her mouth, and Henry turned her to face him. “Tell me what you're afraid of.” He implored with firmness. 

“Eliot is telekinetic.” She whispered. Her eyes welled with tears. “It manifested last year. His magic is so strong Henry, and he's going to wake up terrified and in pain. He isn't going to know where he is, or that his dad's been arrested.” 

“And you are worried he will lash out without control?” Henry surmised. He saw the problem now. 

“He killed someone, Henry. Last year, when his powers manifested.”

“On purpose?” Henry squeezed her arm and tipped her face upward. Her face crumpled, and she shook her head. 

“No! No, he'd never! Eliot's the sweetest kid! He's so bright and smart. Logan was bullying him, and Eliot just wanted it to stop. Nobody knows, he didn't tell anyone that it wasn't an accident. I don't have much magic, Henry, but I can tell my baby does. He's the only one of my boys with magic. He needs somebody to help him, and that can't be me. I'm not skilled enough!” 

“What, exactly, would you have me do, Caroline?” 

“Move him to the school infirmary. He needs to wake up somewhere safe, with people who can help him. Just tell the staff here that you're a doctor, and I wanted him transferred to your care.” Henry sighed, how was he supposed to say no? He had no idea how this would work out in the long run. 

“I'll go talk to the nursing staff. He'll be alright.” Henry assured her. Fifteen minutes later he returned to the room with Eliot's chart and x-rays. He warded the door, then disabled the security camera, and built a portal. He stepped through to the school infirmary and returned with the head of his healing staff. The other man was reading through Eliot's lab work. “I'm not sure what equipment should be moved with him,” Henry told him as they stood at the foot of the bed. 

“I could just heal most of the damage here, and we wouldn't have to move him.” Henry saw Caroline's face fall. She had dropped into a chair that had been dragged along Eliot's bedside. He heard her sniffle as she ducked her head. 

“This is a special case, Andrew.” Henry ran his hand back through his thinning hair. “The boy is telekinetic.” 

“At fifteen?” Andrew flipped through the chart again to see if he'd gotten the age correct.

“As I said, it's a special case.”

“I guess I could let Lipson take this one, especially since the school is considering her as a full-time hire.”

“I think she would make a suitable caregiver.” Andrew turned his attention to Caroline. 

“Mrs. Waugh.” He offered her his hand. Caroline stood to shake it.

“Can you help him?” Her voice was small. 

“Of course I can. I'm going to stabilize your son so we can get Eliot off the ventilator before we move him. The relief Henry could see on her face was almost palpable. She reached to brush a curl of limp dark hair towards Eliot's forehead, then stepped back to give Andrew space. Henry stepped towards her and squeezed her shoulders. He wanted to both comfort her, and hold her back if something went wrong. Power collected around the other man's hands as he cast. The heart monitor trilled louder then settled again. 

Watching the extubation was one of the more unpleasant things Henry had witnessed, but Eliot was breathing on his own when Andrew finished. The bruises on his face and chest had diminished. “Now I'm going to take him off the heart monitor, and we'll just wheel the bed and the IVs straight through a portal.” Henry moved towards the wall and started to make the portal he'd used as large as he could get it. The room fell into uncomfortable silence once the monitor had been disconnected. Caroline was as pale as she followed them through to the school. 

“Henry, Andrew, what in God's name?” Henry's gaze shot to where Joyce stood, but it was Andrew who answered. 

“Joyce get the heart monitor.” The order spurred the junior Professor into action. Henry looped his arm around Caroline's shoulder and guided her towards a nearby chair. The portal had closed on its own. The woman under his arm seemed to relax again once she could hear the monitor's rhythmic trilling. 

“Would someone like to fill me in?” Joyce demanded. Henry stepped away from Caroline's chair. 

“The boy's name is Eliot. He's the son of a former student, and apparently, a powerful telekinetic. Due to the extensiveness of his injuries allowing him to wake up in a normal hospital seemed... unwise.” 

“What happened to him?” 

“His father tried to beat him to death.” 

“Because of his magic?” Joyce's voice rose in shrill disbelief, but before Henry could confirm it Caroline's voice interrupted him. 

“Because he's gay.” Henry's turned his gaze back to her. Caroline's desperate reasons for wanting her child away from the rural Christian community where she lived were becoming more evident. 

“Regardless of the reason, his mother wishes him to be in our care. Joyce, I would like you to take point on this one.” 

“Here are his charts,” Andrew told her. He lifted them off the foot of Eliot's bed and handed them to her. “I'm sure you can manage him.” Before Andrew could say anything more, Eliot twitched. His face pinched in pain, and a miserable little whimper escaped his throat. Henry saw his jaw clench, and he reflexively threw up a shield spell around himself and Caroline. It was the only warning any of them got before a shockwave rippled through the infirmary. Anything glass broke, including the windows, and the IV was ripped from Eliot's arm as the tree was pushed over. The force lifted Eliot off the bed about half a foot, and Henry snapped his hands through a featherweight charm before the teen could fall again.

“Eliot!” Caroline darted past him as Eliot settled and Henry fought back the urge to laugh. The timing was utterly inappropriate, but it was rare that he got to see such a raw display of physical magic. Henry glanced to his right and left, at Andrew then at Joyce. Both wore looks of identical shock. 

“As I said, this is a special case. Joyce, let's get Eliot's IVs fixed. Andrew, if you'll handle the clean-up?” Henry suggested as he walked to join Caroline. 

“Eliot, it's me, it's mom, can you hear me?”

“Mama?” Amber eyes slit open, then blinked closed. Tears welled past long dark lashes. “Dad, he... tried to... ” The words trailed off. Caroline reached to cup her hand against his face, only to have Eliot flinch away. More tears spilled down his face. “Where am I? ” 

“Your dad was arrested,” Caroline whispered. Her hand dropped away from Eliot's face, and she tried holding his hand instead, Eliot pulled it free just as quickly. By some small miracle, none of the boy's fingers had been broken. “You're safe here, I know it hurts, baby, I know you are in so much pain right now. It'll go away, I promise. Right now you have to calm down though before something else breaks.” 

“Breaks... what?” Eliot lurched upward, amber eyes snapped open and swept around the room. The pain sitting up caused him was apparent. Henry could see new fear crowding into his eyes and face, fear that the powers he'd been trying to hide were now out in the open. Caroline wrapped her hand around his arm and reached for his face. 

“It's okay, El, baby I swear it's okay. Your powers, your magic, is part of who you are, there's nothing wrong with it.” Eliot hung his head and ran his fingers across the bruise under his eye. 

“You knew?” Glass shards started to float. Henry's gaze snapped to the heart monitor as the noise it produced grew in shrillness and frequency. Joyce and Andrew were frozen by indecision, and Henry pointed both of them towards the door. 

“Baby, please.” Caroline pleaded. 

“You knew, and you didn't help me.” 

“Eliot... I...” 

“I killed Logan, ma! And you knew, and you didn't even try to help me cope with it! I was fourteen!” 

“I didn't know how, El! Your magic is so much stronger than mine.” 

“You have mag... and you, all those times he, that dad...” Eliot's breath hitched, and Henry got up to unplug the heart monitor. The room settled into silence save for Eliot's quiet sobs. “You could have stopped him.” The floating fragments of glass dropped all at once. 

“Eliot, I...” 

“Caroline stop. You are not making this situation better.” Caroline's face snapped to him, but Henry kept his gaze centered on Eliot. “Go wait in the hall.” 

“Henry?” 

“You asked for my help, now leave so I can help.” She stood with reluctance, and Henry waited until the door had closed behind her to sit on the side of the bed she had abandoned. “Eliot my name is Henry Fogg.” He reached for Eliot's chin and tipped it up until Eliot's eyes met his. “You are safe here. I don't care what happened before today. No one is going to punish you for what happened to Logan. No one is going to abuse you for your sexual preferences.”

“But I...” Henry could feel the boy's chin trembling against his hand. It was clear he couldn't send him back to Indiana. He would alter Caroline's memory if she didn't agree. 

“Was what happened an accident?” Eliot nodded. “Do you regret it?” 

“Every day.”

“Than I trust you to keep it an isolated incident.” 

“Yes, sir.” Henry released his chin and dropped his hand to squeeze Eliot's thigh.

“Relax.” Eliot lay back against the pillows with a relieved gasp. Henry reached for the bed controls and angled them so he could sit a little. 

“Does my ma really have magic?” The words were miserable and soft. “Why wouldn't she use it to protect me? Why would she let him...” 

“Your mother's magical talent is minimal at best.” Henry started to build a healing spell between his hands as he spoke. He noted with amusement that Eliot's eyes tracked every small movement. Henry started to speak Latin for the spell. “Where are you experiencing the most pain?” The arm that lay in a cast twisted awkwardly against Eliot's middle. “Your abdomen?” Eliot gave a small nod. His eyes squeezed shut as Henry brought the spell closer to him, and he gasped as the magic tingled over his skin. His body tensed, then he relaxed as the breath he'd held escaped in a rush. “Is that better?” 

“Yes.” A few rogue tears escaped from behind tightly closed lids. “Why can't my ma do that?” Henry felt for him, of course, he would want that kind of comfort from one of his parents.

“Probably because she never learned.” 

“Why didn't she stop him?” 

“I can't answer that. Perhaps she was afraid of killing him; perhaps she had no idea how, maybe she was scared of turning your father's anger on her. Magic requires meticulous precision. She might have feared that her inexperience would hurt you, more than you had already been harmed.” 

“I don't want to go home again,” Eliot whispered. “I never want to see him again, ever.” 

“That can be arranged. You will master your telekinesis, Eliot. Your magic is nothing like your mother's. It is strong and reactive. What you did as you regained consciousness was an incredible display of raw physical magic.” Henry let himself smile and finally chuckle. “It was awe-inspiring.” He admitted. 

“I broke your windows,” Eliot whispered. 

“Which made the display that much more grand!” Henry proclaimed as he stood. He gripped the end of the bed and turned it so Eliot could watch him. “As you'll learn, glass is repairable.” Henry concentrated as he cast, and whispered words too low to hear in Romanian. The glass shards started to reform, then the window fused and became whole again. Eliot had sat up to watch him when he turned back to him. The teen's face was open and curious. Henry wasn't sure yet, how a boy so young was going to fit into the school, but he had already committed himself to fostering him. “I am going to send my healer back in; her name is Joyce Lipson. She's going to fix your IV, and get your arm out of that cast while I talk to your mother. She won't heal everything today, but you'll make a much faster recovery here than you ever would have in Whitehall.” 

“Where is here? Nobody ever answered that question.” 

“Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, in Upstate New York. Your mother was a student here for a semester. While she showed potential during her entrance exam, it proved to be insubstantial enough to continue. I know you have more questions, and I will answer them later. I'm going to send Professor Lipson in so you can get your IV fixed; you need the fluids and the pain medication. Eliot didn't quite sigh in relief, but Henry could see that he was running on rapidly thinning adrenaline and not much else. The meds would knock him out again in minutes, and he would be able to rest.

Caroline was pacing down the hall towards her son's room as Henry stepped out. He waved Joyce to him, and whispered instructions to her, then waved her into the room and warded the door. 

“He wouldn't even let me hold his hand, Henry!” 

“I can't say I blame him.”

“Henry! How can you say that?” 

“Do you know what I see when I look at him? Schematic abuse. Physical from the father, and emotional from you! What were you thinking, Caroline? How was this the first moment that you told him his magic is natural and beautiful? It was cruel to let him struggle without support. Telling him that _YOU_ , his mother, have magic, even a little, and did nothing to help him was worse.”

“I didn't know what to do!” 

“Well, Toby didn't wake up yesterday morning and decide to beat one of his children to death. This built for a long time. Surely there were signs.” Caroline's lips pursed in a line. She was ashen. “Were their signs, Caroline?” Henry's voice was just short of a roar; this was why he'd warded the infirmary to keep Eliot from overhearing. Her eyes squeezed shut, and tears crept down her face. 

“Yes.” 

“Did your husband abuse your other children?” She shook her head and stepped backward until her back hit the wall. “Caroline?” Henry softened his voice. “Has he ever hit you?” She shook her head again. Henry rested his hands against the wall on either side of her. “Then why was it okay for him to hit Eliot? If you tell me his sexuality played a role so help me god.” Caroline's eyes dropped to the floor. 

“He's not like our other sons, Henry. The other three are all cut from the same cloth as Toby. I just want him to be happy, and safe. I don't care if he likes boys."

“But Toby did?” Caroline nodded. Her hand brushed tears around tears away from her eyes. “He's my baby, Henry. I don't want to abandon him, but I can't protect him. I can't teach him. I've used magic more in the last two days out of desperation than I have in twenty years.”

“You've done the right thing. Eliot's going to stay here, under my supervision. I've already told him he could stay.” Caroline slid down against the wall, and for a moment Henry thought she would disagree. When she looked up at him, however, he saw nothing but relief.” Henry offered a hand to help her up. “I'm going to build you a portal home, and you're going to gather up Eliot's things. I'll alter memories as needed.” Henry smiled a little. “If you want I'll try to ensure that your husband faces a maximum legal penalty.” 

“I don't care what happens to Toby, as long as Eliot gets the help he needs.” 

“That was what I hoped you would say.” Henry helped her stand, and pulled her into a hug. “He's going to be alright. He'll learn to control his powers. This isn't the hopeless situation you think it is.” Caroline clung to him. 

“Thank you, Henry! Thank you so much!” Henry wasn't sure how he would make everything work. He realized that he was taking the well being of a fragile teenager into his hands and that any misstep could make the difference between successfully raising him and almost effortlessly failing him.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are massively appreciated! What did all of you think??


End file.
